However, Sharapova will not compete in the Miami Open tennis tournament but will be in the Pickleball Slam tournament. Specifically, Maria Sharapova announced on social networks that she will cooperate with John McEnroe at Pickleball Slam 2 in Miami in February 2024.
Sharapova and McEnroe will face former tennis legends such as Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi.
“I’m playing pickleball,” Sharapova announced in a video message sent across multiple platforms. And no one else, I played with John McEnroe against Steffi Graf and Andre Agassi.
February 4, in Miami, in Hard Rock, Florida, it’s Pickleball Slam 2.
Sharapova admitted that she feels nervous because she has not played in front of a crowd since retiring from the WTA Tour in 2020. However, the former Russian tennis player is ready to rise to the challenge and show that she is still a competitor. redoubtable.
Sharapova added: “Dare I say that I don’t play much, I’m a bit nervous and stressed? Never mind, I can’t wait to see you there, stay tuned, cheer us on.”
Maria Sharapova’s teammate McEnroe is determined to collect the debt from his loss to Agassi earlier this year after he and Michael Chang were unable to overcome former American tennis player and teammate Andy Roddick in Miami.
“Team Mac. Mac Attack is back with Pickleball Slam 2,” McEnroe said in a video of his own.
The reward for the winning team is $1 million, but the athletes plan to donate to charity.
Her career has had many ups and downs and even controversies, but Maria Sharapova has excelled in winning 5 Grand Slam titles. Her first title was at the age of 17.
Pickleball was “born” by Joel Pritchard in 1965 on Bainbridge Island, near Seattle Washington and has developed into a fun, popular sport in the US as well as Canada.
Pickleball is for all ages and is a combination of table tennis, badminton and tennis. Athletes can play singles or doubles.
Pickleball is played both indoors and outdoors, on a field with length and width like a badminton court, but the net is placed close to the ground like tennis, and the court lines are divided into squares like table tennis. The plastic ball is shaped like a rattan ball but smaller in size.
The rules of the game are very simple and easy to learn for beginners.
